The Sunderland striker, making his first appearance for the national team in three-and-a-half years, held the hand of the five-year-old Bradley, who suffers from a rare form of cancer known as neuroblastoma. Defoe has struck an accord with the Sunderland-supporting youngster and, along with team-mates John O’Shea, Vito Mannone and Sebastian Larsson, visited him in hospital last month.